ARTHUR NEIL (From Warrington Guardian)

ARTHUR NEIL

Labour Group Leader

and Leader of Vale Royal Borough Council

SINCE Labour took control of the borough council in 1991 we have seen a quiet revolution.

An organisation with an annual turnover of £40 million and hundreds of staff delivering services to you and your family has been brought under control and made effective, responsive and forward looking.

Under our predecessors Vale Royal was in danger of becoming a byword for shambles.

We got a grip on the council's finances - the greatest failure of our Conservative Lib-Dem predecessors. Everyone paid for their failure in unpredictable levels of service tax.

The Conservatives cost more and provide less. Under Labour, Vale Royal's collection rate is 97% and our share of the Council Tax has risen, on average, by less than 2%.

We concentrated on issues important to you - new jobs, affordable homes, environmental issues and caring for the more vulnerable members of our community.

More importantly:

Hundreds of new jobs have been created, although we are not complacent and need to provide for more.

More than 400 new homes for rent have been built.

Vale Royal has been nationally and internationally recognised for our work on Agenda 21 - not just the council's work but the involvement of many individuals and organisations.

We have completed the installation of central heating in council pensioners homes and plan to replace outmoded systems as resources allow.

We established Shopmobility and improved disabled access on an unprecedented scale.

Add a range of other achievements and a clutch of awards and we seem to be doing pretty well. We want the opportunity to keep doing well and to do better. This is not the time to let our opponents drag us back.

As the Government introduces new ways of organising local councils, we at Vale Royal want to stay ahead of the game. Our proposals for a new structure will involve more local people in decision making, embrace a culture of ongoing consultation and participation. Our opponents cannot adapt to change and fear it.

This election is about having a council which moves forward with the community. We appeal to all members of the community regardless of previous political affiliation to join with us in this project.

We believe that having the vision and the determination to see things happen is what local people want. We hope that our priorities have matched yours. After all, it's your Vale Royal. Be a part of it.

Converted for the new archive on 13 March 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.